Paul Scarr (Queensland, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Henderson, for that prompt. I hope those in the gallery admire the ability of senators in this place to draw upon all sorts of issues in relation to pieces of legislation. This piece of legislation, in fact, deals with a very, very discrete issue—that is, whether or not the relevant schedule of the act providing for gift deductibility for charities should be enlarged to include six additional organisations: the Australian Education Research Organisation Ltd; the Jewish Education Foundation (Vic) Ltd, and I'll have something more to say in that respect; the Melbourne Business School Ltd; the Australians for Indigenous Constitutional Recognition Ltd; the Leader's Institute of South Australia Inc.; St Patrick's Cathedral Melbourne Restoration Fund. This legislation also seeks to extend the deductible gift status of the Sydney Chevra Kadisha and the Australian Women Donors Network.

That's what this bill, the Treasury Laws Amendment (2022 Measures No. 5) Bill 202, actually deals with. Having said that, I do associate myself entirely, absolutely and completely with the remarks of my good friend Senator Dean Smith. And I do associate myself with one of Senator Rice's remarks—only one, I'm afraid, but one!—that is, one does wonder why it is that this sort of process has to be done through legislation, when so much in this place is done through regulation. And one wonders why this can't be done by way of a disallowable instrument. So, if anyone had particular concerns with respect to deductibility with respect to gifts made to a charity, why couldn't that be raised during a disallowance procedure as opposed to having to consider each and every one of these, no doubt worthy, organisations?

I want to make some comments with respect to what I believe is an important issue arising from the inclusion of the Jewish Education Foundation (Vic) Ltd. When I was reflecting on this and I saw that they had been included, I did some research with respect to that foundation. I congratulate all members of that foundation on the important work they do to make a Jewish education more accessible to members of the Jewish community. I think that should be applauded. From my perspective, it underlines the important place of religious schools in our community and the fact that those schools, that community of faith, need to be respected and supported in every way. I do commend all those associated with the Jewish Education Foundation (Vic) Ltd. I am so impressed by what they're doing in that space to make Jewish education more affordable for members of the Jewish community—in particular, children.

Also, this is my first opportunity to rise in this house to speak following the release by the Executive Council of Australian Jewry of its Report on antisemitism in Australia 2022. We need to deeply, deeply reflect upon the outcomes of this report, including with respect to the education sector. I've referred to the Jewish Education Foundation (Vic) Ltd and its efforts to provide Jewish children with an opportunity to have a Jewish education. In that context, the results of this report—which covers the period 1 October 2021 to 30 September 2022 and which was researched, written and compiled by Julie Nathan, Research Director of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry—makes extraordinarily disturbing reading; it makes very, very disturbing reading. I've quoted from previous annual reports by the council in this place, and I want to take this opportunity to quote from this report. The executive summary states:

During the twelve-month period, from 1 October 2021 to 30 September 2022, there were 478 antisemitic incidents logged by volunteer Community Security Groups (CSGs), official Jewish state roof bodies, and the ECAJ. In the previous 12-month period, ending 30 September 2021, these same bodies logged 447 incidents.

So, in 12 months, there was an increase in the number of what are horrific antisemitic incidents. I will give some examples, which I shouldn't have to give in this day and age. There were 478 incidents this year and 447 last year. The executive summary continues:

Accordingly, there was an increase of 6.9% in the overall number of reported antisemitic incidents compared to the previous year (2021), which had a 35% increase over the number of recorded incidents in 2020.

So, year to year, from 2020 to 2021, there was an increase of 35 per cent, and then in the subsequent year there was an increase of 6.9 per cent. Why is this happening? Why is this happening in our country?

I want to give some examples in the education space. I spoke about the Victorian foundation providing assistance to Jewish children to go to Jewish schools. This is what is happening in our community in this regard. I will quote some of the examples. There are pages and pages and pages of them. The report states:

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And so it goes on. Further:

expletive 'Jews'—

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expletive 'you Jews'—

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And so it goes on. Further:

Expletive, expletive, expletive. That was in St Kilda, Melbourne on 1 December 2021.

I think we need to know about this. I think we need to reflect on it. I don't enjoy reading these examples, but I think our Jewish community and students going to Jewish schools need to know that we in this place are horrified that this is happening in our community. On page 45, there are further examples in the context of what is happening in schools and the manifestation of anti-Semitism against students. I want to read one particular example:

And so it goes on.

Earlier last month, I attended the building of a new mosque in the wonderful Queensland city of Toowoomba. The previous mosque had been the subject of two arson attempts. The first caused serious damage; the second burnt the mosque to the ground. The people of Toowoomba rallied around their Muslim community, their Muslim brothers and sisters, and have helped in the rebuilding of that mosque, demonstrating the very best of Australian values.

Whether it is our Jewish community or our Muslim community, we in this place as well as those in civic society and all Australians need to support our religious communities, including our Jewish community and our Muslim community, when they are subject to hatred and vitriol, which goes against every single thing we stand for in this place. I, for one, will be making a contribution in what I consider to be an appropriate way to show my solidarity with the people of the Jewish education community and to say to them: you have the support of the senators in this place, and these manifestations of vile, anti-Semitic conduct do not represent the Australia that we believe in; they are not reflective of the views of the vast majority of Australians. When these incidents occur, whether they are vile, anti-Semitic incidents directed at our Jewish community or the burning down of a mosque in Toowoomba, in my home state of Queensland, which is being rebuilt with the support of the vast majority of the community, we need to call out this behaviour and say that we stand with communities that are subject to this persecution and these awful, vile acts of racial hatred. With that, I commend the bill to the Senate.